The present disclosure relates to user virtualized network resources, and more specifically, to cloning those resources.
Virtualized network environments include a physical host having a physical network adapter on which one or more virtual machines are hosted. Each virtual machine typically has a virtual network adapter so that virtualized network communication can occur between the virtual machines. Just as physical networks can include physical switches, these virtualized networks can include virtual switches. Configuration of the virtual switches mimics that of configuring physical switches. In particular each port of the virtual switch can be assigned configuration options related to security, virtual local area network (VLAN) identifiers, traffic shaping (or limiting) parameters, and the like. One port of a virtual switch can be designated as an uplink port so that network traffic from a physical network adapter can arrive at the virtual switch and some network traffic from the virtual switch can be directed to the physical network adapter.
Each of the physical hosts can be connected together via their physical network adapters so that the virtualized networks on each physical host can communicate with one another. In this way, virtual machines on different physical hosts can communicate with one another as if they were physical machines on an appropriately structured physical network.
A user can use a management console or a service console to build and configure virtualized network environments as described above. The service console can provide an interface to management software that can communicate with each of the physical hosts. Using this management software, the user designates which virtual network resources are located on which physical hosts, how the virtual network resources are connected together, and how each virtual network resource is configured.